All's Fair in Love and War
by WitchMagpie
Summary: Complete and edited to comply with M rating now. All's fair in love and war, or is it? What happens when a high school girl and a martial arts master discover they share an ability to read the denpa waves? minor spoiler alert for later chapters: rated for implied sex and kissing in ch. 11 Hana x Kazu
1. Chapter 1

**AN-I think one of my favorite pairings is Hanajima and Kazuma. I love Hana so much, and I really wanted to see her find someone who would love her and not be threatened by her denpa waves. Hanajima seems so quietly self-contained and unflappable; whereas Kazuma seems to be some sort of strange juxtaposition of absent minded professor and martial arts master. They make an incredibly bizarre couple, especially when you consider the significant age difference. And yet I don't think there are many people who could love and accept Hana in all her mysterious glory the way Kazuma would. I think he understands that there are "more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of" because of his being privy to the secret of the Juuneshi curse and from being a martial arts master. Besides, Kazuma needs someone psychic to be two steps ahead of him every time he goes in the kitchen and tries to cook! Hana could probably help him keep from burning his house down!**

**I do not own Fruits Basket!**

I watched the man closely as he smiled and patted Kyo's shoulder with an easy familiarity. "_Pride…and great affection,"_ I thought to myself as I tuned into his waves. _"But beyond the immediate feelings and sensations…loneliness and self sacrifice."_ I could tell that this was someone who had cut himself off from his dreams of ever having a normal life to in order to do what he considered right, although I was not entirely what that meant in the context of his life.

I stood quietly in the shade of a large maple on the street corner while I continued to watch the interaction between the man and Kyo. I had walked to where the man had his Karate dojo for the express purpose of satisfying my curiosity about him. He had been playing on my mind since I first saw him a few weeks ago at the parents, students and teachers conferences. Sitting with Tohru, Uo, Yuki and Kyo, I had announced that he was the sort of man I would want to marry. Kyo had not at all been happy with my declaration but I paid little mind to his opinion.

Normally I do not concern myself with the opposite sex. For the most part, high school boys seem overly concerned with puffing themselves up like giant, strutting peacocks for the express purpose of drawing the interest of the girls. Unlike many of my female peers, I am looking for something more than a handsome boy to wear on my arm like some sort of fashionable accessory to make the other girls jealous. But this situation was a little different.

For one thing, he wasn't a boy. This was an adult man who apparently ran a small, but well regarded dojo. And then too, there was the calm, steady energy that flowed off of him, stilling all but the most chaotic of waves in his vicinity. Years of effort had taught me how to maintain a filter that kept the cacophonous noise of other people's unguarded thoughts out of my awareness; it was not hard for me to recognize the ability to do the same in someone else. What I didn't know was if he was aware of his ability to manipulate the denpa waves, or if this stillness was merely the result of the discipline and meditation a martial arts master would necessarily engage in as part of his training. It was possible, especially if he had developed mental discipline when he was very young, that he never faced the struggles and challenges that Megumi and I had encountered when our powers manifested in middle school. I turned my attention back towards the man.

Kyo seemed particularly animated as he gestured and spoke excitedly to his foster father. I tuned into his waves once more. _"A match with the champion of a rival dojo…Kyo defeated him, but only after an arduous battle."_ I arched my brow and smiled slightly with amusement at Kyo's pleasure in relating the details of his victory to the man. He was laughing and carrying on like a small boy, his manner completely unguarded and free. This man made Kyo feel safe; with him, Kyo could let his façade down and be real.

I focused on Kyo's foster father again, taking in the details I may have missed the first time I saw him. He was a very tall man, broad in the shoulders. Judging by the way in which his kimono hung nicely on his frame, I would say he was very fit, with the sort of long, wiry muscle that hides great strength in a deceptively slender frame. His face was very handsome with a strong, straight nose, well formed lips and delicate brows that had a naturally quizzical arch to them that gave him an expression of wry amusement all the time. He looked to be in his thirties, but with his silvery gray hair lightly brushing the base of his neck, he was likely much older. His eyes crinkled at the edges giving him the appearance of a perpetual smile.

Now they were laughing together. The man slipped his arm over Kyo's shoulder affectionately and they walked together toward the open door of the dojo. I stood there a moment more, silent and still in the shade of the red maple tree, and then I turned and began to quietly continue on my way to the house that Tohru shared with Yuki and Kyo, startling a flock of nightingales that had perched unknowingly alongside me.

I knew I would see this man again, and my denpa waves hinted that he was somehow connected with my future. For now, I was content to wait and see how that future unfolded. I had learned long ago that being impatient did little more than make the passage of time more noticeably slow.

_Hanajima's black cloak and hair swirled out behind her as she turned heel and walked away. Kazuma looked behind him as he followed Kyo through the door of the dojo and his heart lurched unnaturally as his eyes fell on her figure walking away. He paused watching her hair and cloak as the wind caught them and gently blew them out behind her, creating an illusion of a black mist flowing around her. He wondered who the woman was, and he continued to watch until a concerned Kyo interrupted his reverie and distracted him. When he looked back, he saw nothing but an empty street where she had been walking._

**AN: Please let me know what you think of the story. Even a single word review of "good" "bad" "awesome" or "boring" would suffice, although I prefer to know why I suck or I write well LOL. Reviews give me the opportunity to refine my writing skills and provide better stories.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: It occurred to me as I was writing this story that it would be necessary for me to establish that these events between Hana and Kazuma unfolded over a year and a half period; unfortunately, because all of our household's Fruits Basket manga is packed and in storage in preparation for our approaching move to a new home, I can't check my story against the existing Furuba timeline. I apologize in advance for any discrepancies or for not making the time span this covers clear enough! **

**Kazuma POV**

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I could not understand why my mind kept insisting upon dwelling on the mysterious woman I had seen walking near my home. For the entire duration of my adult life, I had managed to discipline my mind so as to not focus on the blandishments and enticements of the opposite sex; why this image of a woman in silhouette walking away from me continued to haunt me these last several months was unfathomable.

I had known when I made the decision to raise Kyo that I was choosing the life of a single father. The necessity of keeping the juuneshi curse a secret alone made any future relationships for me unlikely. It went against my sense of integrity to involve myself with someone in a relationship as intimate of marriage when I would be unable to ever be fully honest with her about my son. Rather than actively deceive any woman I respected and loved, I chose instead a monastic style of life, pouring my passion into my martial arts and into my effort to provide Kyo with unconditional love and stability.

I long ago let go of my regrets; seeing the young man that Kyo is becoming has more than made up for the lack of romance in my life. Besides, at my age, the dewy glow has worn off the romanticized notion of love and sex. Years of abstinence no longer feel to be a burden, but rather they are now a habit, like meditating or keeping the dojo clean.

Still, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a life partner to grow old with. It's easy to distract myself and feel like my life is full right now while I have Kyo around; but I know that some day, Kyo won't be here anymore. He's either going to succumb to the fate of all the juuneshi cats, or he's going to break free and live the life he chooses for himself; but either way, Kyo will move away and I won't see him as often. This small house is going to seem rather large and empty when he leaves.

I caught my thoughts returning to my mystery woman again. Perhaps my obsession with her is just the consequence of being a forty-three year old virgin? I suppose it is possible I could be having a midlife crisis, although I had hoped that a life of discipline and introspection would have forestalled that potentiality. My understanding of mid-life crises is that they are the consequence of a lack of understanding and acceptance of one's aging process. I don't feel old…at least not to myself.

Then again, maybe I'm not in acceptance. I caught myself wondering what my mystery woman would think of me. I knew that my body was in better shape than most men half my age, but I had seen the lines at the corners of my eyes, and there was no denying the fact that my previously brown hair was now silver. Would she see me as old and past my prime? I was horrified to find myself worrying that she wouldn't think I was capable of being as virile as a young man would be.

I shook my head impatiently, as though I could scatter the thoughts of her out of my head by motion alone. I didn't matter what this mystery woman would think of me since it is unlikely I will see her again. And even if I did see her, I certainly wasn't going to introduce myself and strike up a conversation with her. I shuddered at the thought of trying to make small talk. I completely lacked any real knowledge of flirting and dating, and I suspected I would make a laughing-stock of myself.

It's better that my mystery woman remain a mystery. Some complications are just not necessary for a life to be full. I'm too old to change anyhow.

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**Thanks to those of you who have reviewed! As always, please review-reviews are food for an author's soul. Well-fed authors write better than starving authors LOL. **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN-Because my daughter's Fruits Basket books are packed in preparation for our move, I don't have access to the stories to get it clear in my mind exactly when Hana first saw Kazuma and vice versa. With that being stated, I am taking some creative liberties with the story in order to be able to write it at all! **

**Also, I feel it only fair to give you guys an operational definition of a term I am using in the story. The term is "glamour" and no I am not referring to the women's magazine LOL. I am using it in the archaic sense, referring to an enchantment that is cast to create an illusion, in this case to amplify Hana's already considerable beauty. I figure Hana's denpa waves can probably do more than telepathy, so I am embellishing on it a bit.**

**I do not own Fruits Basket!**

I said nothing of seeing Kyo's father at his dojo when I met Tohru and Uo later that day. I knew I would see him again, but I didn't know when, and there was little point in relaying any information until I myself had a better idea of what was going to happen.

When I did see him again, it was nearly six months later at our class performance of "Sorta Cinderella." I had already changed out of my costume and was trying to find Megumi amongst the crowd. I felt a flow of chaos disrupting the waves of the girls near me in the hallway. I looked in their general direction, but in the crush of people filling the hallway, I couldn't necessarily see what had whipped them into a frenzied emotional state. I tuned in to their waves. _"Oh my God, he's gorgeous!"…"Is that Kyo's brother?"…"I think that's his father!"_

I walked slowly into the swarming morass of noisy teens. At my approach, the students dove to either side of the hall and knocked each other down in their efforts to avoid accidentally touching me; I head their whispers _"denpa witch…," "poisonous waves…," "killed a girl at her old school…,"_ but I ignored them, as was my custom, not bothering to spare them a glance as I continued to slowly walk forward.

The squirming waves of people had parted before me like water, and at the end of the corridor, I saw him. I could see Kyo standing next to him, and both he and the man were listening to someone just out of view speak with them. As I drew closer, I began to assert my denpa waves to amplify my presence and envelope me in a glamour. Feeling my waves increase in frequency, the man turned his head and met my eyes.

His eyes were a soft hazel color, not quite green and not quite brown, but a little bit of both. As I drew nearer, Kyo also noticed my approach, and I saw that he and his companion had been speaking with Kyo's cousin Shigure and with Tohru.

"Ahhh…Saki-chan," Shigure said lightly, "How lovely to see you again." Shigure's nervousness called to me clearly over the waves, belying his flippant tone, but I did not spare him a glance. Instead I extended my hand to the man who stood at Kyo's side and smiled my most bewitching and beguiling smile.

"Kyo, do introduce me to your father. He has the benefit of knowing my name when I don't even have the pleasure of an introduction." I said in dulcet tones. Kyo's hackles visibly went up and Shigure's brow arched quizzically at my unexpected tone and manners. From across the waves, I received a vision of Kyo with cat ears pinned back flat to his skull, eyes narrowed, tail bushed out, and hissing, and I wondered what its significance was.

"Oh Hana, this here is Sohma Kazuma-san, Kyo's foster father and shishou. He came here to see Kyo's performance today," Tohru explained helpfully. "Kazuma-san, this is one of my dearest friends, Hanajima Saki. We have been best friends since middle school." I was still holding Kazuma's gaze in mine. In his waves I sensed recognition and curiosity, _"She looks so like my mystery woman that I saw…could they be one and the same?"_ So he had seen me as I had walked away from his dojo, and more importantly, he remembered me in a possessive sense; I was _his_ mystery woman.

I continued to hold his hand in mine, feeling pulsing little shock waves of energy coursing back and forth between us. Interesting, I thought to myself, there seems to be some sort of current that is generated when we touch. That wasn't something that had happened for me before. The current left a pleasant tingling sensation on my hands and I wondered if he could feel it too. I was puzzled as to what the significance of the energy was, but I turned my attention away from my thoughts and back on to Kazuma.

"Surely you can't be old enough to be the father of junior in high school?" I said quietly in a soft, girlish voice. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Kyo was now turning a flushed shade of red and lunging at me, and that a bemused Shigure was restraining him by holding him by the back of the neck. Dear, sweet Tohru stood there smiling benignly, as she watched my interaction with Kazuma, completely oblivious of Kyo's distress behind her. Kazuma blushed slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the compliment.

"I'm sure my daily exercise and good diet are to blame," he said hesitantly. "I am in my early forties." His waves betrayed his feelings of ambivalence towards me. I could feel that he was physically attracted to me and that he did feel the current passing back and forth between us; and yet he was also concerned with the propriety of his attraction to a girl the same age as his foster son and what sort of example he was setting for Kyo. Although I felt some degree of anticipation, I knew I could afford to be patient with him. Now that he was aware that our social circles overlapped, I could easily arrange to be in his presence again. I sensed that now was not the time to push things. Maintaining my eye contact with Kazuma, I released his hand. I felt the pleasant, tingling energy from our contact dissipating.

"Sohma Kazuma-san, it has been a pleasure making your acquaintance. I am certain we will run into each other again." I bowed deeply to him. He bowed in return. Increasing the glamour of my waves around me again, I turned and began to walk back the way from which I came. I sensed his regret at my departure and I could hear him speaking to Kyo as I exited the hall.

"What a lovely classmate you have, Kyo!" As I walked away, I heard Kyo's plaintive howl responding to him.

"Shishou! Don't get married!" I heard Kazuma laugh, and Kyo's sputtering, angry response was lost in the cacophonous jumble of noise from the other students as I walked down the steps outside the school to the sidewalk, but the ripples he left in the ether from his angry waves made me laugh softly to myself.

I saw Megumi waiting for me under a copse of cherry trees near the bike rack. Several students were eyeing him warily as they worked to quickly unchain their bicycles and speed away. When they saw my approach, their eyes widened with panic and they doubled their efforts furiously.

"I hope I did not keep you waiting overly long," I said quietly as I looped my arm through Megumi's and we began to walk home.

"Not at all," he said in his quiet, steady voice. "I enjoyed the quiet beauty of the cherry trees." He paused and seemed thoughtful, but I could feel the undercurrent of his amusement as he spoke. "However, I seemed to be the only one who noticed them. Your schoolmates were in a terrible hurry to leave."

"They often are." I commented dryly. Megumi was quiet for a moment as we walked toward home.

"I sense in you a certain degree of excitement and preoccupation, Saki." He paused and waited to see if I would elucidate on his observation. I didn't feel completely ready to share my feelings about Kazuma with anyone before I myself had a chance to examine them; but I didn't want Megumi to worry unnecessarily about me so I decided to share a little.

"I have met someone whom I find interesting," I said quietly, keeping my words deliberately vague. Megumi merely raised an eyebrow in response, but said nothing. Words were not necessary between us, and he left me to my thoughts. We continued walking in a companionable silence towards our home.

**AN: I realize this story is moving a bit slowly and I apologize. I have a terrible tendency to put a lot of effort into establishing the back story for the characters. I promise we are getting to more Kazuma/Hana interaction soon. I have been ambivalent about how much citrus to put in my M rated stories. The fanfiction guidelines discourage explicitness in the stories and yet most of the stories I've read are pretty graphic (including my daughter's…how uncomfortable is that???!!!! Reading that sort of thing written by your own child!!!!! Arghhhhh!). Gwen Depp (aka Chibi Neko Chan) has told me I can be as bad as your average romance novel in terms of being graphic, so that's kind of what I am considering doing. Please review and weigh in your opinion about how much "citrus" I should put in this story LOL.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- The following will be a Kazuma POV. BTW, tan tien is a Chinese term used in tai chi to represent the center of balance located between the belly button and the pelvic area. I don't know what it is called in Japanese. Also, I am using the term qi to represent the chi energy used in martial arts. I could be wrong but I think qi is the Japanese spelling for it…. As always, please read and review-let me know what I can do better! To my existing reviewers: Thank you so much for your support and feedback! It makes me want to write even better to keep you all happy! Reviews encourage me to post new chapters and reassure me that I am not a completely vacuous air head writing crap that no one wants to read LOL.**

**-I do not own Fruits Basket!-**

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"Haaa!" Three orderly rows of young men and women in white karategi executed neat round snap kicks in one fluid synchronized motion. "Haaa!" The entire room dropped into a leg sweep in unison.

I watched as my students executed their drills, practicing the moves and techniques we had been working on all week. Normally I really enjoyed the time I spent with them in the dojo, but today I felt restless and distracted. I just couldn't keep my mind focused. I kept finding my thoughts drifting back to the day I met Kyo's friend, Saki Hanajima. Thoughts of her had been haunting me ever since.

I had thought that time would lessen the power that her memory held over me, but four months had come and gone since I had seen Kyo's class perform "Sorta Cinderella" and I had met her; and yet it seemed that each day she more fully occupied my mind. Now I was so obsessed with my memory of her and the humming energy that flowed between us when we touched that it was interfering with my ability to focus on my work.

I was really puzzled by the strange energy that coursed back and forth between us as she had held my hand. I had never had that happen before when shaking someone's hand. I knew the energy to be some sort of manifestation of qi energy, but that still didn't explain why our contact had sparked it.

I guiltily redirected my focus back at the students, chastising myself for not giving them my full attention. I really didn't know why it was so hard to concentrate today. _Liar_, my brain said. _You know exactly why_. I saw the image of her as I had seen her that day outside the dojo, with black cloak flowing and long black hair, unbound and streaming out behind her, silhouetted against the back drop of the setting sun. She really was a remarkably beautiful girl. She was so striking with her black hair and creamy white skin. I imagined her skin to be soft and smooth like a fine silk kimono. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up guiltily, ashamed of my thoughts which should have been focused on the fourteen students in the dojo, and not on my foster son's friend.

"Shishou, are you all right?" Kyo was looking at me with concern evident in his reddish-brown eyes.

"I'm feeling all right, Kyo." I smiled, not wanting to worry him. I stood up and brought my hands together in a sharp clap. The students immediately discontinued their practice and stood at attention facing me.

"You are all progressing nicely. It is clear that you have devoted a lot of time at home to your practice." The students looked visibly pleased at my praise. I wasn't a harsh teacher, but I did not give praise often and only when it was earned. "I know this is out of character for me, but I am going to dismiss you fifteen minutes early today. I expect you to continue to practice diligently at home each day. I will see you back on Thursday at our regular time." I bowed to them and the students bowed in return before collecting their shoes and slowly filing out the door. I began picking up mats and Kyo came over to assist me.

"Shishou, are you sure you are feeling all right? I can take care of cleaning and putting away the mats if you need to go lie down…?" He lifted up the other end of the mat I was dragging out back to clean off.

"Really, Kyo, I am fine. I think I just need some time to meditate and introspect. I'm feeling a bit mentally scattered today." We set the mat down in the grass, and I went into the shed to get the disinfectant spray bottles and some paper towels to wipe down the mats. I tossed one bottle to Kyo and tore off some towels for the two of us. With our combined efforts, we were able to clean the mats and put them away in fifteen minutes. I could feel Kyo's concern hovering over me like a dark, oppressive cloud, so I shooed him off to Shigure's house, telling him I couldn't hear myself think with all of his worried thoughts fluttering around my head like a flock of blackbirds.

Sitting alone in the house after he left, I felt like I actually had some space to try to think. Settling into a cross-legged lotus position on the floor, I rested my hands on my knees and I focused on centering my attention in my tan tien. But instead of feeling stillness and peace, I merely felt more restless. I didn't want to meditate and focus; I wanted to think about her. A curious pang of emotion was nagging at me that I couldn't quite identify. Sighing, I allowed my attention to drift into that feeling, trying to identify what it was that was troubling me. But all I could think about was Saki Hanajima.

Why couldn't I get my mind off her? After twenty minutes of fighting with my own rebellious thoughts I was feeling particularly frustrated. I decided to give up any efforts at meditating and introspecting. Maybe all I needed was a long walk to clear my mind. I left the house and began walking briskly down the street towards the high school. I knew I was walking that way in hope of running into her again, but I didn't care.

"Maybe if we did bump into each other, it would get her off my mind," I said to myself quietly, as though saying it out loud might somehow make it more true.

"Do you make a habit of talking to yourself?" a soft, feminine voice said from directly beside me. I swung around sharply, startled by the question. It was her. How on earth did she do that? It's not exactly easy to sneak up on me since I have been training in the martial arts for over thirty years, and I made a point of being aware of my surroundings. I had no idea how she came to be standing directly next to me. I flushed red when I realized she had heard me talking to myself about her. She continued to look at me with a single eyebrow arched questioningly, a slight smile hovering on her lips, waiting expectantly for my answer.

"Um, not too often, but I guess I do sometimes." Wow. That was an incredibly intelligent reply. Why on earth was I reacting like a school boy with a crush? My normal adult ease and confidence in conversation seemed to have been reduced to all the awkwardness of a preteen boy. I was forty-three and I really should be beyond this sort of thing. I really wished that she had not come upon me talking to myself. Why I wanted to look good in front of a seventeen year old girl I didn't want to examine in too much depth; I was afraid of what I might see.

"Sometimes I find myself thinking out loud when something is troubling me," she said softly while looking out across the park we stood beside. "You seemed to be deep in thought while you were walking; I suspect you were doing the same." She turned her face up to look at me and she smiled. I found myself sinking down into her violet eyes as though I was being sucked into a whirlpool. The pang of emotion I had been feeling earlier intensified, I recognized it for what it was: love and longing. I found myself wanting to run my hand through her silky black hair, draw her face close to mine and …! With great effort, I wrenched my gaze away from her face and with what focus I had left, I stilled the energy and heat that was pooling in my groin. Oh my God I am turning into a dirty old man! I felt betrayed by my own body and mind. These were not thoughts I would normally entertain! I struggled to redirect my thoughts so I could actually speak coherently.

"I was out walking, trying to clear my head. I've felt restless and unfocused today." I explained, all the while wondering why I thought I should have to explain anything to a seventeen year old girl. But I found I really wanted her to think well of me. She didn't act like a seventeen year old. She seemed much more calm and mature than most seventeen year old girls I had met. There was a stillness about her that was soothing to be around, so unlike the normal frenetic activity and noise that accompanied most teenagers.

"Am I perhaps keeping you from your walk? I do not wish to inconvenience you." she asked mildly. In actuality, she was, but I found myself loathe to part company with her yet. I was surprised to hear myself inviting her to join me. Her face light up in a smile that took my breath away and she looped her arm through mine. It struck me that I should be feeling somewhat taken aback by the familiarity in which we were indulging, but my mind beat that unwelcome thought down and buried it under the pleasure I was feeling from having her in such close proximity to me. Besides, walking with her like this, looped arm in arm, somehow felt right, as though I had been missing something before and only realized it now that I was complete.

I felt that strange, pleasant buzz of warm energy spreading through my arm from where we touched, and I thought to ask her if she felt it too, but then I thought better of it. If she didn't feel it then she might think I was hitting on her and that I was a perverted old man. From the back of my mind a little voice asked me how fantasizing about her and walking arm and arm with her were different from being a perverted old man, but again, I smashed my reservations and buried them under half hearted justifications for my behavior that I didn't really believe.

As we walked in a companionable silence down the sidewalk, I was struck with the inspiration to take her through the park. Some of the cherry trees by the koi pond in the meditation garden still had their blossoms, and I found myself wanting to share the beauty of flowers with her even though I was sure she had probably seen the trees in bloom thousands of times before. Somehow though, it seemed as though they would be so much more beautiful when viewed with her.

"If it is all right with you, I would like to walk through the meditation garden, Saki-chan," I said, once again surprising myself with the liberty I was taking, calling her by her first name. Again, I justified my behavior, telling myself it was okay because I was older than her and she was my son's friend.

"I would like that, Kazuma-kun" she replied softly. The way she spoke my name made it sound like she was caressing it as it came out of her mouth, and it increased the frequency of the tingling in my arm. I conveniently chose not to try to justify her familiar use of my first name as my brain was now completely scattered and overwhelmed by a heady, dizzy feeling of anticipation and elation.

As we walked along a rustic path between groves of plum, maple and cherry trees, I found myself pondering her motives for walking with me. Why would a seventeen year old girl want to walk through the park with a middle aged man like myself? Why wasn't she out shopping and talking with her girl friends? Then again, Saki Hanajima did not seem to be the sort of girl who had much interest in the normal frivolities teen girls engage in. It was easier for me to imagine her reading novels or writing haikus. She seemed so much older to me than seventeen, maybe that's why I was so attracted to her.

Part of my brain gasped and reeled at that admission, but fortunately for the rest of me that was completely bewitched by her presence, it keeled over and fainted before it could raise any objections. Maybe she chose to walk with me because she was attracted to me as well? That thought proved to be too much for my mind to process and I slipped into a daze, with all coherent thought drowning in a sea of high emotions.

That's when I noticed we weren't walking any more. I looked in front of me and we were standing at the edge of the koi pond. Long branches, bending with the weight of abundant blossoms hung low over the pond; as the breeze caught the branches, making them sway gently, tiny blossoms drifted down falling like rosy snowflakes, creating tiny concentric circling ripples on the surface of the water. I glanced at Saki. She was looking up at the falling blossoms as they floated softly down toward the earth. The breeze caught some of the pale pink blossoms and deposited them playfully in her long, black hair. She was so beautiful I felt my breath catch in my chest. She turned her eyes, wide with delight, toward me. I couldn't breathe. I felt so many conflicting emotions running through me, pulling me in every direction. I wanted to pull her into my arms and devour her. I wanted to hold her in my arms and feel her heart beating next to mine. I wanted to run immediately home and hide in my meditation room until I could get these inappropriate thoughts out of my head! What was I thinking?!?!

But I wasn't thinking anymore; that was the problem. I leaned down and cupped her head in my hands, turning her face up towards me and I pressed my lips gently against hers, feeling shock waves of pleasurable energy explode from the contact, blotting out my awareness of anything other than Saki. All conscious thought disappeared and I was left submerged in waves of throbbing, pulsing energy. Her arms wrapped gently around me as she pressed closer to my body, moving into my kiss, which only amplified the energy's frequency.

I felt as though we were suspended in mid-air, floating rapturously in a timeless, beautiful fuschia haze of cherry blossoms and rosy passion. Every romantic cliché and feeling was playing out in the movie screen of my mind as I found myself nestled firmly in the reality of this kiss, the first one I had experienced in this lifetime.

"Saki," a male voice said softly, shattering my rapt absorption in the kiss, sending fragments of my romantic flights of fancy falling all around me like broken glass and bringing me fully back to the present. My face flushing red, I hurriedly let go of Saki, and I looked around us confusedly, wondering who was addressing her. My gaze fell on a boy standing directly to my right who appeared to be Saki's male twin.

How on earth did he suddenly appear there! He was dressed all in black from head to foot, with short black hair that fell lightly across his forehead and swept just below his brow. There was no doubting that this had to be her brother. Hana looked surprised to see him, but she quickly gathered her wits about her and she introduced us.

"Kazuma-kun, I would like you to meet my brother, Hanajima Megumi. Megumi, this is Sohma Kyo's foster father, Sohma Kazuma. He runs a local karate dojo." Megumi's expression never changed but he extended his hand. I shook it, noticing that there was no strange manifestation of energy, just normal skin-on-skin contact.

"I am very pleased to meet you, Sohma Kazuma-san," he said in a quiet, flat intonation that was so similar to Saki-chan's. Megumi looked at Saki. "Mother is looking for you. It's time for us to leave to visit our grandparents." I thought I detected a flash of impatience move across Saki-chan's face, but I couldn't be certain. She turned to me and took my hand.

"It has been a pleasure walking through the park with you, Kazuma-kun. I'm certain we will have opportunity to do so again." I found myself nodding in agreement, still somewhat dazed by what had transpired between us and the feelings that were ricocheting within me. I sat down on a stone bench by the pond and I watched as Saki and Megumi walked away silently, and I wondered what the hell had just happened.

**AN: As always, thank you for taking the time to read my story and please review. Have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Hana point of view- I do not own Fruits Basket- I could not remember if it was a boy or a girl that Hana hurt with her denpa waves prior to/during middle school, so I said it was a girl. If it was a boy, I apologize. Our manga is still packed and we aren't due to move until late May. I'm also sorry on the delay in posting this-I actually had real work to do at work most of last week. :::gasp::: It's a rarity, but I actually had enough work to keep me busy 8 hours a day for about 5 days. Now I'm back to no work for 8 hours a day, so I guess I can post this!**

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Megumi and I walked home silently. I felt very vexed with him. We were not planning to go to our grandparent's home today, so all I could do was wait until he was ready to explain why he thought it was necessary to interrupt my rendezvous with Kazuma. He didn't make me wait very long.

"You can't do that to a man like Kazuma, Saki. He has too much integrity for you to toy with his feelings like that in such a cavalier manner." Megumi's tone was soft, but his criticism stung.

"My actions are far from cavalier, Megumi," I replied calmly. "This is not some sort of experiment or test to see what I am capable of; my intentions towards Kazuma are based in love."

"But your methods are not," Megumi pointed out dryly. "Kazuma is a martial arts master, a man who lives his life with integrity. I know you have sensed his history of sacrifice and honor as I have. How do you think he would feel about you if he was to learn you were using your denpa waves to manipulate his feelings and actions?" I felt a degree of anger and defensiveness, and I sought to justify my manipulations.

"All is fair in love and war, Megumi. Isn't that what the cliché says? Surely a man well versed in the arts of war would understand my choice in using whatever weapons I had on hand to win this battle." Megumi shook his head slowly.

"You know that isn't true, Saki; that's just the justification people use to make themselves feel better when they have behaved in a dishonorable fashion to get what they want. You know that someone like Kazuma values integrity and honor. Your argument might be valid if he knew he was engaged in a battle; but he doesn't know. You are attacking him on the sly. He is completely innocent of the knowledge of denpa waves and doesn't have a clue that he is being manipulated. He believes that the thoughts and feelings you are placing in his mind originate with him. I'm sure you know how upset it is making me him feel, to be fantasizing about a girl he feels is too young for him." I interrupted Megumi with cold anger.

"He does have genuine feelings of attraction for me, Megumi. I would not be so foolish as to try to insert feelings of love into someone who felt nothing for me. I am merely accelerating the fruition of those feelings." Megumi walked quietly for a few minutes before replying.

"If your denpa waves have told you that Kazuma has feelings for you, then let things develop at a natural rate. Give him the opportunity to develop and nurture those feelings for himself, and give him the time to make peace with this sudden change to his world. Offer him the respect he deserves, and let his feelings for you grow naturally and without denpa wave interference. Otherwise, you risk losing him when he realizes what you are doing," Megumi paused thoughtfully. "And Saki, you know he will realize it. With the proximity to your denpa waves, his knowledge of his own abilities will deepen. You risk your future with this man if you continue manipulating him."

I didn't answer him. His words rang with truth, and it brought my personal ethics into question. I had watched Megumi's abilities grow much more quickly than my own due to his proximity to me; it would be no different with Kazuma were we to spend a lot of time together. We walked silently the rest of the way home. When we arrived, I went up to my bedroom to think over what Megumi said.

I had been so careful to control my use of the denpa waves after nearly killing that girl at my former middle school. I had learned that there really was no such thing as a casual feeling or emotion. With the denpa waves, thoughts had power and they could kill. So I had learned to carefully control my anger and my fear so I would not inadvertently hurt someone. But I had not concerned myself with my other emotions or the less deadly manifestations of denpa waves.

I had never questioned the ethics of using my waves to tune into the private thoughts of others; not that there were too many people who I found interesting enough to eavesdrop on. Prior to meeting Kazuma, I had mainly used that ability when protecting Tohru from the overly zealous Prince Yuki Fan Club. But now I felt myself ashamed for the gross intrusion of privacy I had committed upon Kazuma-kun. I had read his innermost thoughts and feelings about me, and I had used that knowledge to manipulate him into a greater degree of intimacy than was warranted by our brief acquaintance.

I cringed as the full realization of my rash and immature actions settled in my awareness. I had crawled inside Kazuma's mind and filled it with an unrelenting desire to see me again that had made him restless, distracted, and had most likely impaired his ability to teach and function. I had then mentally manipulated the man to leave his home and encounter me; and then once he was in my presence, I had sent him unrelenting suggestions of kissing and touching me.

I wasn't certain why I had felt such urgency in getting our relationship to progress. My meddling indicated a lack of patience that was incongruent with my view of myself as a calm and patient woman. I suspected that I had been reacting to my own subconscious fear that if I didn't interfere, Kazuma would never act on his own feelings. I had patiently waited several months, continually tuning into his waves to determine his feelings for me, waiting to see some sort of sign that he was going to seek me out or that he was accepting the connection I felt between us; but the man was relentless in his adherence to his ideas of what was an acceptable relationship with a young woman and what was not. He had actively sought to push me out of his mind and continue his lonely existence.

After six months of waiting patiently, my own feelings churning tempestuously within me and seeking realization, I think I had reached a point of desperation. I had felt that if I didn't manipulate this man into acting on his feelings, nothing would ever transpire between us. He was too comfortable in his loneliness. But I wasn't comfortable at all.

My entire young adulthood, I had watched the love-play of my peers; I had not felt too much envy as none of the boys my age held much appeal for me. Perhaps the other students had assumed that because of my quiet and calm demeanor I was not interested in love and romance, but they would be wrong. I had just been waiting for the right man to come along. Having found the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I wasn't willing to wait any longer. So I had "arranged" to run into Kazuma, and I had "encouraged" him to act on his desire for me.

I felt a blush creeping over my face as I realized how shamefully I had treated him. My actions may have been motivated by my own budding affection for him, but they were not loving actions by any stretch of the imagination.

I sighed quietly and felt a surge of affection for my little brother, Megumi. It was not easy growing up and having to be mature beyond one's chronological age because of the denpa waves; and yet I was grateful to have Megumi's love and support as I transitioned through each challenge. He loves me enough to let me know when I'm out of line; I couldn't ask for a better manifestation of love than that.

I would have to step back and allow the relationship to progress naturally. But I also felt I needed to admit to him what I had done, and to teach him how to protect himself from unscrupulous manipulations. It was inevitable that he would figure out that he had been manipulated once he knew and understood the denpa waves. And while I dreaded his possible response to my machinations, I also knew that it was karmically just that I should teach him to protect himself from the very waves I used against him.

I would wait before approaching him again. I would give him some space to process what had happened between us before I introduce more chaos into his life. It would not be easy to wait, especially since I would no longer be using the denpa waves to monitor his thoughts and feelings for me; but if I the feelings I was picking up from my own denpa waves were any indication, the potential relationship between Kazuma and I was more than worth sacrifice.

**

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AN: It seemed to me that someone with a psychic or magical power would be tempted to use it to get what they want, especially if that person was young and lacked the life experience to know better than to mess with other people's feelings. It seems clear from the manga that Hana had learned to control her negative emotions so as not to cause harm; but the manga never really addresses the ethics of her use of the denpa waves against the Prince Yuki Fan Club. I can imagine her feeling overwhelmed with her feelings for Kazuma and justifying her use of her power to get him to respond! It seems like the sort of thing a psychic or magical teen girl would be tempted to do (although in all fairness, I suspect a man or woman at any age would be tempted to use their powers that way if they didn't know any better, as evidenced by the ten million "love spell" books in the metaphysics section of your local bookstores).**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6-Kazuma POV-I do not own Fruits Basket**

**This chapter is super short. Really, it's just an opportunity for me to help Kazuma gain some perspective on his recent romantic adventure and prep him for the next chapter he is in. Poor Kazuma-san…he's such a nice guy and so totally out of his league, and yet I suspect he will catch on and catch up pretty quick! He's inexperienced, but he's a quick study. **

**In other news… sorry about the wait for the update. The last two weeks have been a roller coaster of major issues. Both my daughter and I have been badly ill resulting in trips to the emergency room and urgent care. Everyone seems okay now, but I just didn't have the time or energy to update sooner or respond to everyone's comments. I will respond to all reviews and comments and I will try to update this story twice this week. I may also be leaving this job soon which will cut down considerably on my time for writing (I know that sounds weird, but I do all my writing at work…I'm just too busy at home!). I will try to finish this story prior to leaving the job. Thanks for your patience!**

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I just sat there on the stone bench for the longest time, trying to wrap my mind around what had just transpired. My feelings threatened to overwhelm me, making rational thought difficult to say the least.

First of all, how had I gone from just being restless and distracted to embracing and kissing a girl I barely knew in the space of an hour? My behavior seemed so completely out of character and not at all well thought out. It was as though the feelings were being inflicted on me rather than coming from me. My mind drifted back to the memory of looking into her eyes and kissing her, and I felt myself responding in ways that were completely unnecessary and unwelcome if I wanted to be able to walk home without parts of my anatomy proceeding me by several centimeters. With effort, I stilled the qi in my groin again and brought it up into my heart, attempting to transform it into a higher, more spiritual energy. That calmed me down some, but left my heart pining with love sickness for her now that she had left. How had I managed to develop a burning passion for this girl based on meeting her twice? Although we were barely acquainted, I felt as though I knew her intimately, as though I could anticipate how she would respond in any circumstance. My dirty mind drifted into the sexual circumstances category and I rapidly fixed my thoughts on to other questions.

Was I going through a mid-life crisis? Was this what happens when you practice abstinence for too long? I felt all my emotions and thoughts clamoring for attention at the same time, and I closed my eyes and centered my qi in my tan tien, attempting to calm my mind.

Working with my qi brought to mind the strange pulsing energy I felt while touching Saki. What exactly was that energy, and what was its significance? I thought about how the energy had intensified and the pleasurable sensations of the pulsing current had increased in frequency as my arousal had increased. I caught myself as I began to speculate on what would happen to that energy if we made love, and I firmly redirected my mind back to less stimulating questions. While the energy certainly seemed to be something that only happened when I made contact with Saki, its frequency and intensity seemed to be related directly to my sense of attraction. I felt strongly attracted to Saki, and the more aroused I became, the more intense the frequency of the qi. I wasn't certain what this energy was, but I felt like somehow she would know what it was and why it was happening. I would ask her when I saw her next.

I laughed quietly at myself. I was already thinking ahead to seeing her again. I wasn't sure that was a good idea, and yet I needed to come to an understanding as to what this energy between us was. At least that was how I was going to justify seeing her in my mind. I firmly pushed any further lustful or romantic thoughts about Hanajima Saki out of my mind, and I began to walk home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7-Kazuma POV-I do not own Fruits Basket-Again, I am still trying to establish that more time has passed so we can work on getting Hana to age 18 so Kazuma won't feel like such a dirty old man! Poor Kazuma-kun! His heart wants to lead him where his sense of propriety doesn't dare tread! Many thanks to my readers and reviewers for all your kind comments and encouragement! You guys make me feel so appreciated! Thanks!**

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After more than a month passed, I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to see Saki again. While I had seemed to get my thoughts of her mostly under control since that day in the meditation garden, I still found myself thinking of her often, particularly on days like today when I had no students around to distract me. I was coming to realize that my feelings for her were more than those of a dirty old man looking to recapture his lost youth in a pretty girl; my fantasies seemed to be heading more in the direction of domestic bliss. I imagined raising children together, celebrating anniversaries and holidays as a family, and doing our day to day chores side by side. I had to laugh at myself as I examined my fantasies. I wasn't a dirty old man…I was a boring old man! Not that I didn't devote a fair amount of time to reliving the kiss we had shared at the edge of the pond. Sometimes I thought the thoughts of our embrace would drive me to distraction.

It had occurred to me that if I really wanted to see her, all I had to do was ask Kyo's friend Honda Tohru and she would cheerfully give me Saki's phone number without question. But I still felt a degree of resistance in actively pursuing her. I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow inappropriate for a man my age to romantically pursue my son's friend. Plus, there was the matter of the Sohma family curse; I didn't want to have to deceive a woman I loved about the true nature of my son. It would be best if I just let my feelings for her go. I grimaced ruefully to myself since it was obvious my feelings weren't going anywhere any time soon.

This ridiculous fixation on Saki was interfering in my ability to remain focused on taking care of Kyo and running my dojo. It was only with great effort that I was managing to evict her from my thoughts during meditation. I felt a wave or irritability wash over me. Sitting around thinking about how I should stop thinking about Saki was more non-productive than I cared to be. I grabbed my katana and headed out back to practice my sword skills.

Redirecting my focus on my art, I threw myself wholly into my practice. Completely unaware of the passage of time, I lost myself in the smoothly choreographed blocks, thrusts, ducks and spins of swordplay. I made a finally thrust into the air before me and then I closed my eyes and brought my katana up in front of me and I centered my energy once again. When I opened my eyes, Saki stood in front of me.

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**Hana POV**

I watched him from a safe distance as he executed perfectly balanced swings and thrusts with his katana, moving more like a dancer than a warrior. My heart was fairly singing as I saw flashes of rippling muscle as his navy blue keikogi would open in the front with the force of his swings. I had known Kazuma was very skilled and well respected as a martial artist, but until I saw him in full motion, I really had no idea how impressive he really was. I felt a bit like the school girl I actually was and I laughed internally at myself for my rapt admiration of his graceful maneuvers.

I waited until I saw him raise his sword up and close his eyes in prayer before I approached him, taking care not to get too close since I had just seen a fairly good example of exactly what he could do with his sword. I saw his eyes widen in surprise when he opened them and saw me standing in front of him.

"Kazuma-kun," I said quietly, bowing my greeting to him. He bowed in return, his face betraying a bemused expression.

"Saki-chan, you run the risk of being run through by a sword when you suddenly materialize without warning in front of a swordsman," he said mildly, sheathing his katana and walking back toward the dojo. I fell in step alongside him, following him inside as he entered the back door. We walked back to the living room where he gestured at the zabuton cushions that surrounded his kotatsu and offered me a seat.

"You have caught me unprepared for company. I am beginning to suspect you take a degree of enjoyment in catching people unawares," he said with a playful smile. "Please make yourself comfortable while I shower and change." He walked briskly down the hall and slid the shoji door shut behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

He seemed much more comfortable in my presence than I had dared to hope. I had been afraid I would find him wary or nervous in my presence because of what had happened between us in the park. His relaxed and humorous demeanor was a bit of a relief. Not that I would have minded if he wanted to pick up where we left off at the koi pond, I thought to myself, smiling and feeling warmth pool in my pelvis as I remembered the kiss we had shared in front of the pond.

I wasn't necessarily sure what I planned to do with Kazuma if I did manage to "get" him. I hadn't really thought this plan through. I knew that he was the man I intended to marry. From reading his waves, I had seen that he had integrity, honor and that he would treat me with love and respect. I rather suspected he would make a good father based upon his experience raising Kyo; he'd have to be good if he could spend that much time with Kyo and not kill him. But I didn't really know what I planned to have happen between us after getting him to accept his feelings for me. _Maybe that is something you had best consider_, I chided myself.

I was unused to the effects of powerful romantic emotions, and I was dismayed when I realized how often I had allowed myself to react spontaneously to Kazuma without thinking through as to the possible results of my actions. Regulating my romantic emotional responses was far more complex than managing my angry reactions, and it had far more subtle, but no less dangerous consequences.

I sat quietly on the cushion waiting for him to return. He had some pictures of himself and Kyo in simple cedar wood frames scattered on his kotatsu. I picked one up and studied it. A smiling Kazuma stood next to a much smaller version of Kyo in a white karategi. Kyo was holding a trophy that was nearly taller than he was and seemed to be shouting something joyfully when the picture was snapped. I noticed that aside from having long brown hair tied back in a neat pony-tail at the base of his neck, Kazuma looked much the same then as he did now.

I heard some rustling and I looked up to see that Kazuma had come back into the living room. His hair was still wet and it looked darker. He had thrown a short charcoal gray silk haori over a navy blue colored kimono and black hakama. He glanced at the picture I was holding and he smiled.

"That was one of my proudest moments," he said with a quiet smile. "Seeing Kyo go from being angry and sullen, to developing some discipline, to finally seeing all his hard work and practice translated into a victory; it was at that moment that I saw him first come to believe that he was worth something." He continued to smile, lost in memory for a few moments, then his gaze turned serious; he looked at me and he took one of my hands. The pulsing, buzzing current of energy started up almost immediately. He looked me in the eyes and I felt my chest tightening with anticipation. The pulsing increased in frequency as my thoughts turned toward images of kissing him and being held in his arms again.

"I know you can feel this energy too, Saki-chan. I feel it every time we touch hands. The frequency of it changes in response to our emotions and thoughts. Do you know what it is?" I looked at him quietly, feeling my anticipation deflating like air being let out of a balloon as I realized he wasn't going to do anything other than hold my hand. I pushed my feelings aside and became serious.

"I don't know for sure," I said softly. "I have never experienced this before, although I suspect it has something to do with energy sparking when our denpa waves contact." I looked into his hazel eyes, trying to gauge his response. He sat there quietly, still holding my hand, but saying nothing.

**

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AN: I apologize on how long it is taking for me to get to the "interesting" stuff. I just don't think Kazuma is the sort of man who would rush into a physical relationship; he's too honorable for that. Plus, I think he's really stuck on the whole high school girl idea; he doesn't want to be a "dirty old man" like Shigure, so I think he is holding himself back as best he can until Hana gets older. I don't know what the laws are in Japan regarding consensual sexual relationships, but here in the U.S. Kazuma would get his rear reamed by the courts for his relationship with Hana (if it progressed much further while she was under 18). I suspect that older man/younger woman relationships are more acceptable in Japan, but I don't know for certain. As always, please read and review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Kazuma POV-I do not own Fruits Basket-I'm running behind on responding to reviews again! Sorry! I appreciate each and every review I receive and I will make an effort to respond to them all this week. I'm pretty much done with the entire story except for the last chapter. I'm having trouble with just one section of it, but I am hopeful to have it worked out to everyone's satisfaction by the next few weeks. **

I felt skeptical. Denpa waves. As a martial artist, I had heard mention of denpa waves, but most books and teachers that I was familiar with dismissed denpa waves as superstition, the exaggerated tales of an uninformed public responding to things they didn't understand. Now this young woman was sitting here, holding my hand which was throbbing with inexplicable qi, and she was claiming that it was the result of our denpa waves touching. I cleared my throat nervously.

"Are you implying that both of us have the ability to manipulate denpa waves? With all due respect…" I began but she gently interrupted me.

"Kazuma, reserve judgment for a moment and let me demonstrate. I know denpa waves are real, and I know that both of us have the ability to work with them. I want you to remember a memory from your childhood. Something I could never know from any of these photos or from my friendship with Kyo, and I will relay it back to you." I looked at her skeptically, but she put a finger over my lips before I could open my mouth. My lips tingled softly from the energy of our contact.

"What do you have to lose, Kazuma? If you are right, I won't be able to tell you what you are thinking and your doubts will be vindicated. If you are wrong, you will have your answer about the energy when we touch." She smiled mischievously at me and returned her hands to her lap.

I thought back to the time I had seen my grandfather, sitting isolated and alone in his cell at the Sohma compound. I remembered the sad smile on his face as I ran away from the candy he offered me. I chose that memory, having no particular concern that she would actually be able to read my mind. I looked at her somewhat smugly I'll admit, waiting to see what vague story she came up with to try to convince me of the denpa waves.

"A dark room…bars on a window. I see a hand sticking through the bars holding a piece of candy…you run away in fear…a sense of regret and guilt settle permanently over you…" she looked up at me with compassion. "It's okay Kazuma, you were only a child and didn't…"

"Enough" I said quietly, my mind reeling as I realized she could just look right into my mind and see my thoughts. In hindsight, I didn't know why I hadn't given her claims more credence; Saki did not impress me as someone who would exaggerate or lie. But the idea of denpa waves being real had seemed so far-fetched. I centered my scattered thoughts; obviously Saki had the ability to read the denpa waves. However, that didn't necessarily mean I did too. I had never been able to pull thoughts out of anyone's head before. I knew that I had an innate ability to listen and understand others well, but that did not make me a psychic.

"You have convinced me of your own abilities. But I still don't know that I can accept that I too have the ability to manipulate the denpa waves. I would think I would have noticed at some point if I suddenly had the ability to read minds…" I let my sentence trail off as I suddenly became aware of hearing her voice, but coming from within my mind and not from my ears. I looked at her, my face frozen in a blank expression as I listened to her.

_"You can hear me can't you? You look as though you are a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle."_ She smiled at me, but I just sat there, my mouth most likely hanging open in an expression of surprise. She reached over and put her hand on my arm, and I absentmindedly noted the buzzing. _"Are you okay, Kazuma?"_ Her thought sounded as though it held some gentle concern. I tried to shake off the mind numbing aspects of my surprise and I attempted to think back at her, not wanting her to worry too much; I was surprised, but not afraid.

_"I'M FINE, SAKI-CHAN,"_ I answered, frowning as I concentrated very hard on projecting my thoughts at her clearly. She winced in pain.

_"Kazuma-kun, you don't have to try so hard, I can hear you easily when you think at a normal volume,"_ her voice sounded pained, but amused. I flushed in consternation and inwardly chastised myself; of course Saki could hear me if I thought at a normal level of concentration. I didn't see her screwing up her face or creasing her brow with concentration as she directed her thoughts to me.

"_I think it is only fair that I warn you that I can hear all of your thoughts and feelings as they go through your mind," _Saki thought quietly to me._ " Sometimes I get an image, sometimes I only get a flash of an emotion. You will need to learn how to keep your mind closed off when you wish to think something privately. You project very clearly without trying." _Her mental voice held some amusement as she thought the last sentence. I felt some real alarm at her admission, and I desperately tried to think about something innocent which of course made all sorts of inappropriate thoughts spring into my mind. Saki began to laugh softly as I turned several shades of red in rapid succession.

"Kazuma-kun, use the metal discipline you have developed from meditating and apply it to your thoughts. It is the same principle," she smiled mischievously and added, "although I have to admit some curiosity also about what would happen with the energy between us if we were to be intimate." I felt the color spreading across my face deepen to magenta as I realized she had heard my thoughts and she was curious about making love too; but I followed her advice and I stilled my mind as though to meditate, which also had the added benefit of quieting the rampant embarrassment that was threatening to blot out my conscious mind. I felt on the edges of my consciousness something trying to enter my mind, but it felt as though it was encountering resistance and unable to penetrate the wall of focused thought I had erected.

"Very good," she said. "When you still your thoughts in that way, not only do you block your thoughts from being read, you also block others from inserting their thoughts into your mind." I looked at her quizzically and I wondered if that was what I had felt when I had been stilling my mind.

"Inserting thoughts in my mind? Do you mean to say that someone could influence me to do something against my will by getting inside my head?" I asked, somewhat skeptically. She shook her head, smiling softly.

"No, no one can make you do something you wouldn't do otherwise. I could not direct you to kill someone or commit a crime; however, should someone suggest to you that you should do something you already want to do…" she let her sentence trail off.

Suddenly I had the most overwhelming urge to take her into my arms and kiss her. It felt as though my normally logical brain retreated into a far corner of my mind and all I could do was feel my desire to pick her up and carry her into my bedroom. My brain fogged up completely and I found myself leaning over and pulling her into my arms.

Her hands slid slowly over my chest and rested on the back of my neck. The energy between us raised its frequency to a fevered pitch, and I felt like I was drugged with desire. She looked up at me with the most beautiful, liquid violet eyes and her lips were slightly parted as though in anticipation of my kiss. I leaned down and I pressed my lips firmly into hers, drowning in the explosion of energy between us. I let my kiss trail down her neck and I sucked at the flesh there, blind to everything but the sensations of pleasure coursing all over me. She arched against me, moving her hands down to the cords that held my haori shut and she began to untie them.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt as though I should not be acting in this way with a girl who had not yet graduated from high school, but my mind was lost in a swirl of sensation and feeling; I felt myself hardening in response to the feeling of her warm body pressing against mine. I was flushed with desire, but also with tenderness for this beautiful woman whom I embraced, and my eyes wanted to roll back in my head from the force of the love and affection for Saki that I felt swarming through my mind.

Suddenly, I felt the compulsion to kiss her dissipate; but not the desire or the love. The throbbing energy did not weaken, and it was only with great effort that I convinced my arms to gently release Saki from my embrace. I noticed a sense of reluctance in her as her arms slid off my chest and neck. I slowly tied my haori shut and then I looked up at her.

"You make a powerful point," I said huskily. "For both our peace of mind, I have to ask that you don't do that again. It was difficult to stop myself, even when your influence diminished." She blushed and looked down; I could sense in her some shame over her actions, but also the echo of the love and desire that was resonating within me.

"I want you to learn how to determine when you are being influenced and how to successfully resist it, Kazuma," she said quietly. "When the thought originates with you, it should not have the ability to blot out all your other thoughts. When I compelled you to kiss me, it was as though I magnified and amplified your desire to kiss me to the point that it pushed all other thoughts out of your consciousness. Normal thoughts and desires should be able to co-exist simultaneously."

An unpleasant thought suddenly arose in my mind as I remembered how overwhelming my feelings were that day we kissed in the park; how I couldn't think about anything but Saki, and I had wandered outside just in hope of finding her. I looked at her and I heard her in my mind, confirming my suspicion, _"I don't ever want you to think that you only are attracted to me because I used the denpa waves to influence you."_

**AN: Okay…kind of a cliffhanger type ending…sorry for that, but it really seemed the way this chapter wanted to end. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9-Hana POV-I do not own Fruits Basket-Thanks to my many wonderful readers and reviewers for your continued support! Sorry on the delay in publishing this and answering reviews…I have no good excuses, I'm just distracted!**

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He knew. Megumi had been right. Kazuma was definitely smart enough to put the puzzle pieces together and figure out what I had been doing to him. I felt the icy chill of concern creep over me as I began to entertain the thought that he might become angry with me. It really was too late to worry over it; all I could do was apologize sincerely and hope he wouldn't reject me and my love.

"I behaved unethically when I used the denpa waves to compel you to come to me and kiss me in the park, Kazuma," I said softly. "It is only fair that I now teach you how to protect yourself from their undue influence." I couldn't tell if he was angry with me or not. I was too emotionally caught up in the situation to be able to read the denpa waves with any sort of clarity; my own waves interfered and colored all my impressions with my own anxiety and fears. He just sat there quietly, staring at his hands that were clasped in his lap. Finally he spoke.

"I appreciate your honesty and your sense of integrity, Saki-chan. I am not angry about what you did," he said slowly. I felt a flood of relief pour through me and I took a deep breath, realizing that I had been holding my breath waiting for his response. "I am able to own my responsibility for my own thoughts and feelings. Had I not already been attracted to you, no amount of manipulation could have inspired me to act the way I did." He paused thoughtfully before continuing. "However, I do want you to teach me all you can about these denpa waves. Can I be influenced by just anyone?"

But even as he asked the question, he answered himself. "I suspect the answer must be no. Otherwise I would have spent my life being buffeted about by the conscious and unconscious desires of other people." I nodded in quiet agreement.

"Only someone else with the knowledge of the denpa waves would be able to actually manipulate your thoughts and feelings. You might be able to pick up on the desires of others, but without the added intention and will, you would not feel a sense of compulsion to do as they wished," I said softly.

He sat there quietly absorbing all I had told him. I knew that he was probably feeling overwhelmed by everything that he had learned today. While I suspected that he could deal more easily with the revelation of his ability to work with denpa waves than either Megumi or I did when we first realized what was happening to us, I wasn't so sure how he felt about our increasing intimacy and my role in promoting it. He was claiming to not be angry, but I was concerned that when he was given time to think about it, he would judge me harshly for manipulating him and violating his privacy. I kept my mind and thoughts guarded as we sat in an uncomfortable silence in his living room.

Minutes seemed to slow to the speed of days as we sat quietly; I ruefully remembered how patient I used to be. Now with the future uncertain, I lacked the equanimity to wait and see what would happen; and now when I needed my ability to read the denpa waves, I found my inner vision blinded by my own fear. I agonized over every possible worst case scenario that could come of this situation.

He finally looked up at me after several minutes had gone by. "Saki…this is a lot to process all at once. I have spent my life believing things to be a certain way, having every expectation that I would continue to live a solitary life of quiet reflection and discipline." He paused, searching for the right words to express what he was feeling.

"Suddenly, everything I thought I knew about myself is in question. The script for my future that seemed so simple and well planned out is suddenly being rewritten without my permission. I have always seen myself as a logical and disciplined man who behaves honorably. Suddenly I find myself believing in denpa waves and giving into the desire to kiss a girl the same age as my son. I don't even recognize myself any more." He looked at me, his eyes betraying his internal conflict.

"I guess I just need some time to let all of this percolate in my subconscious mind. I feel like my life is out of control, like I am out of control." His admission betrayed his sense of emotional vulnerability in this situation. How strange it must have seemed to this man whose entire life has been an exercise in discipline and control.

I nodded silently in acquiescence and I stood up. Every fiber of my being wanted to throw myself into his arms and beg for reassurance; reassurance that he loved me, that he wanted me, that he wouldn't turn away from this tenuous and special love that was newly blossoming between us. But I didn't do any of that; I just stood there and built psychic walls around my heart so he wouldn't hear me crying inside. I didn't like feeling this weak and vulnerable; I didn't know who I was within the context of my own feelings anymore either.

He jumped up from the couch and he took my hand. "I'm not angry, and I'm not trying to push you away. I just need to figure out what's going on with me and where I want to end up." He looked down, and I heard what he wasn't saying. He needed time to figure out if he loved me, or if his attraction to me was purely physical. I wanted to tell him that his concern about using me should be proof of the honorable nature of his intentions, but I wasn't going to let him see me in this pathetic, vulnerable state. I kissed him lightly on the cheek and I went home.

* * *

**AN: Poor Hana hasn't known uncertainty for a long time and I think she is experiencing an identity crisis. She so identifies with her self concept of being controlled and calm that she can't handle her own uncertainty and emotional vulnerability. She finds herself in a situation where she has no control, neither over her own feelings nor over her circumstances (as they relate to her desired relationship with Kazuma); it has to be making her mad with anxiety. I imagine her berating herself for being so emotional and "weak", i.e. emotionally undisciplined. She sees reflected in herself the vulnerability and weakness she perceives in the other teenage girls and she doesn't like it. I suspect Hana feels some false superiority over the girls like Motoko that pick on her, and it is really bugging her to see herself as being like them in any way! As always, review and let me know what you think! Magpie**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10-Hana POV-I do not own Fruits Basket SPOILER ALERT Some material mentioned is from Furuba books not yet released in the USA. DO NOT read further if you don't want to read spoilers. Thanks to my awesome readers and reviewers! You keep me writing and motivate me to hone my skills. And special thanks to Cheshirejin for reminding me that Kazuma might be peeved by being manipulated since he has been witness to so many of Akito's manipulations on the juuneshi. Hope you are feeling better, Cheshirejin! **

* * *

I sat alone in my bedroom, staring at the heavy black velvet curtains that hung over my window. It had been two months since I had last seen Kazuma. I occasionally felt his energy reaching out to me, but I kept myself closed off to him. I didn't feel ready to see him again. With all the excitement of the impending high school graduation, Tohru's fall off the cliff near Shigure's home and Uo's boyfriend Kureno being stabbed by Sohma Akito, no one noticed that I was quieter and more withdrawn.

I had been doing a lot of introspecting since the day I had taught him about the denpa waves. Just as he had had some reservations about the nature of his feelings for me, I knew that I need to get my mind straight about my feelings for Kazuma before I saw him again. I felt as though the energy between us had gained a momentum of its own, and I was no longer in control of my own reactions anymore. When I first began to pursue him, I had managed to maintain the emotional detachment that I use to be able to manipulate and read the denpa waves. But somehow in the process of using the denpa waves to manipulate and increase his feelings for me, I found that I had increased the intensity and strength of my feelings for him as well.

I laughed softly at my own stupidity as the absurdity of my situation fully dawned upon me. I didn't know how I could have overlooked such a simple, cosmic truth. Of course my own feelings would have been affected by my manipulation of Kazuma. There was no way I could have increased the frequency and intensity of his emotional experience without it resonating through my own emotional body as well; our feelings were connected in a symbiotic circuit through which the denpa waves flowed back and forth between us. This circuit must have been forged over multiple lifetimes as friends, lovers, and confidants to be resonating so strongly in this life. We were twin flames, two halves of one whole; what was done to one would be done to the other. In seeking to ensnare Kazuma in my web of enchantment, I had entangled myself as well.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. I felt ill prepared to deal with the uncertainty and the fear of rejection that came from being in love with someone, and I wasn't accustomed to feeling uncertain about anything. I was out of control. I had never before felt more at the mercy of my emotions as I did now. I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster, not knowing from one day to the next if he loved me, or if he wanted to close himself off from me forever, preserving the simple way of life to which he had grown accustomed. I didn't dare try to see what he was thinking for fear of letting him see me in this scared and uncertain state. I was afraid that I would find my disgust with my own vulnerability reflected in him, and I couldn't bear the thought of his contempt for me. So I chose to keep my mind closed to him and I hid in my room. He couldn't break my heart if I wouldn't see him.

**Kazuma POV**

I could tell she was avoiding me. I tried to reach out to her through the denpa waves, but I kept feeling like I was running up against a wall. I wanted to see her again. Somehow, knowing that we both shared this strange denpa power made it easier for me to accept my feelings for her. I no longer wondered at my attraction to her. I suspected our instant emotional rapport was facilitated by the denpa waves that we could read in each other. Maybe that's what the energy between us was trying to tell us; that we would never know this type of emotional intimacy with anyone else.

Somewhere along the line my attitude had made a one hundred and eighty degree turn, and I was no longer satisfied to live celibately. I suspected it had something to do with all the changes that were happening all around me, especially those concerning Kyo and the breaking of the Sohma family's juuneshi curse. With Kyo and Tohru becoming engaged and planning to move to my friend Suzuki-san's dojo in Osaka, I felt a loneliness and a longing for someone to share my life with. I had sacrificed so much for so long; I was ready to be selfish and put my needs first for once.

Everyone around me was pairing up and finding their bliss with someone that they loved; I found myself imagining what it would be like to spend each evening in quiet, domestic companionability with her. I wasn't content to resign myself to a life of growing old alone. I imagined the possibility of always having someone around who understood my thoughts and feelings intimately, and I realized that I had been lonely for a long time and I just hadn't been willing to admit it to myself.

When Saki had first told me of the denpa waves and her use of them to manipulate me, I had felt overwhelmed; it was as though I had spent my entire life living in a black and white reality where everything was easily defined, right or wrong. But after she entered my reality, black and white gave way to shades of gray which in turn bloomed into rich colors of varying intensities. Right and wrong were no longer easily recognizable; thoughts that I never would have entertained previously suddenly made more sense than the long cherished ideas and values I had nurtured my entire life.

I had struggled with myself that first week. I tried every justification and form of self deception that I could to try to discredit the feelings I had for her. I had reminded myself constantly that she was a girl, just a few short months away from high school graduation, and that I was a middle aged man old enough to be her father. I verbally castigated myself for letting my desire for her lead me to behave in such an undisciplined and morally reprehensible manner. Except that I didn't believe a word of what I was telling myself.

I knew deep inside that the love between her and I was no ordinary infatuation. In my meditations, I went deep into the denpa waves and I analyzed the connection between us. I could see then how interconnected and entwined our fates were with one another. Vision after vision of past life connections with Saki passed through my mind's eye; Saki as my mother, Saki as my grandfather, Saki as my lover. For hundreds, maybe thousands of years, Saki and I had bonded in relationships of mutual love and positive regard. This incredible unbroken chain of unconditional love created a powerful magnetism and resonance that drew us together again and again, which in turn reinforced our connection to one another. When our denpa waves had reconnected in this lifetime, our higher selves, our souls, had known one another instantly, creating a love and a bond inexplicable in the context of our roles as barely acquainted high school student and middle-aged karate master.

It didn't happen right away, but slowly over these last two months, I had become more and more in acceptance of my love for Saki, my shared denpa waves powers with her, and the exceptional nature of our relationship to one another. I felt no anger regarding her misuse of our denpa wave connection. While her manipulations had initially rubbed me the wrong way in their similarity to Akito's mistreatment of the juuneshi, I soon came to see my own unconscious complicity in the situation. My increased awareness and study of my own ability to work with denpa waves had illustrated for me the truthfulness of what she had told me; had I not already held the feelings of love and passion for her within me, no amount of manipulation would have been able to compel me to love and kiss her.

While I certainly did not condone her choice to use her undue influence to compel me to act on my hidden feelings, I did understand why she did it. Suddenly having the ability to manipulate others held a strong appeal for me when I realized I too could use my abilities that way. Out of frustration, I had tried to compel her to come to me, but my intentions weren't enough to break through the mental wall she had erected between us, thus saving me from the shame I would have felt later when I came to my senses. But I did want to see her again.

I desperately wanted to let her know that I had come to an accord within myself, that I knew I loved her now, and I didn't care about age differences, denpa powers or any other excuse. Obviously I was just going to have to wait until she was ready to see me again. Except that after spending my entire adult life alone, I wasn't willing to wait any longer.

I slipped on my zori sandals and left the dojo, locking the door quietly behind me.


	11. Chapter 11

Saki POV

I heard the doorbell ring and I felt some degree of irritation. With my parents and Megumi at my grandparents' home, I had hoped to have some quiet time alone with my thoughts. I walked quickly down the hall to the front door and I opened it, fully expecting to see Tohru or Uo on the other side. Except that it wasn't either of them; it was Kazuma-san.

I just stood there a minute, staring blankly in disbelief at him. He was the last person I expected to see at my door. How did he find my home? I suddenly felt scared and excited all at once, and I didn't know how to act or what to say.

"May I come in?" he asked quietly. I nodded quietly, stepping aside to allow him to come in and then I shut the door behind him. "Are we free to talk here privately?" he asked softly, leaning towards me.

"My family is away for the day," I said quickly, feeling more nervousness welling up in me. I led him quietly to the living room and I asked him to take a seat. I sat down across from him, and then blushing and feeling a bit like Tohru, I leapt up and asked him if I could get him anything to eat or drink. He shook his head impatiently.

"Saki-chan, please sit down. I don't need anything to eat or drink. What I need is to talk to you." I sat down again and quietly waited to hear what he had to say, my calm demeanor belying my frenzied, anxious state. Or so I thought. He looked at me in wry amusement. "I'm not going to bite you, Saki-chan, although I should. You have been deliberately blocking me out for two months."

I looked down, and tried to put up my mental wall again. I was not ready to have this discussion with him today. I felt like I was being emotionally torn in two; on one hand I wanted to hold him close and bask in his aura, and on the other hand I wanted to lock myself in my room and hide from him. I was sorely tempted to do the latter, but then I imagined him using a well placed kick to open my bedroom door and me trying to explain the damage to my father later, and I deemed it wiser not to. I felt him probing in my mind, and then retreating as he encountered my shields. He sighed deeply.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked quietly. "When we last spoke, you were more than willing to be open with me." He stood up and walked over to where I sat. I felt paralyzed, completely uncertain as to what he was going to do. I didn't dare open up my mind to try to see what was going on in his for fear of giving him a glimpse of the vulnerability, the weakness within me. Kazuma-san sat down beside me and looked at me. I was too nervous to make eye contact with him. He took one of my hands in his. I felt the current awaken between us, its frequency higher than I had expected.

"Saki-chan, I have come to terms with what I feel for you. I know I love you, that I have always loved you, even before I knew you in this life. He placed his other hand under my chin and he brought my lips up to his.

The energy exploded between us as he pressed his lips gently against mine. I felt as though my mind and my heart had been swept away in a flood of delirious sensations and feelings. My arms wrapped around him of their own accord, as though to keep me from losing my balance. I felt his other hand come up against my lower back, pulling me closer to him.

He moved his face down, burying his face in my hair. I felt his tongue and his lips tracing a path along my neck, and I wanted to sob with relief. He loved me. All the fear and uncertainty drained out of me, and I felt as though I hung limp in his arms without the tension of my dread holding me up.

"Saki, I need to know that you are okay with this, that you want this too," he whispered urgently in my ear. His hands were running up my back, leaving fiery little paths of energy whorls exploding where they touched me. I sighed, half-lost in the overpowering ecstasy of our merging auras and the tingling flames of erotic sensation that pulsed down my spine and between my legs as he nibbled and sucked at my ear lobe.

"I love you," I whispered softly, bringing my lips up against his neck and peppering him tiny kisses and nips. I stood up slowly, gently pulling him to his feet. "My bedroom…" I said hesitantly, looking down the hall towards my bedroom door. He smiled sweetly, hearing in my unspoken sentence my nervousness and uncertainty about what we were about to do.

"We can stop if you aren't comfortable with this…I would never hurt you…" he began to say quietly, but I covered his lips with my own, kissing him silent and I began to lead him down the hall.

_**(erotic content censored to comply with FanFiction's enforcement of the no erotica rule)**_

"I love you," he said softly, his face radiant in his happiness. I smiled in return and kissed his forehead. I love you too, I thought at him. He laughed and pulled me closer into his embrace.

"Will you marry me," he said softly. "I know that I've done everything backwards and I'm supposed to ask that before we fall into bed and devour each other, but will you marry me anyways?" My heart felt as though it would overflow with happiness, and I snuggled closer to him.

"You know I will," I said quietly, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"I want to ask your father for his permission to marry you," Kazuma said quietly as I lay there, absentmindedly running my hand over his abdomen and hip. I laughed as I imagined my father's expression of astonishment as Kazuma pleaded his suit before him.

"I don't think you will encounter much resistance, Kazuma-kun. Likely he will be relieved to find that there is someone in this world crazy enough to take me off his hands." I said smiling. "Besides, he will be thrilled when his grandson arrives." Kazuma raised his eyebrow at me quizzically. "But he will be a bit surprised when the baby shows up six months after the wedding."

Later that day, they walked to Kazuma's dojo, Saki's arm looped closely through his. The people they encountered on the street stopped and stared as they passed by, caught up in the aura of profound joy and love that enveloped the handsome older man and his beautiful and exotic companion. They watched the couple stroll slowly down the sidewalk until distracted by traffic or other pedestrians, the observers would turn away. When they turned back to seek the couple out again, their silhouettes had disappeared against the back drop of the setting sun.


End file.
